it is time for round two of epic s'mores with ghirardelli's chocolate squares! for this s'more i wanted to go a little less traditional & introduce an ingredient you have probably never come across in a s'more: earl grey tea. i am sure you have already figured out that i LOVE earl grey tea. what i love even more is incorporating the strong & distinctive flavour of earl grey into my desserts. the flavour of the bergamot comes through so well when incorporated with other ingredients. while i have done waffles, cakes & other baked goods before i thought it was time to expand the flavour of earl grey even more. earl grey caramel AND earl grey marshmallow topped with ghirardelli's dark chocolate sea salt caramel sqaure yes please! i paired it with ghirardelli's milk chocolate caramel square for the kids or kids at heart like myself. it was so fun serving these s'mores to see if people could distinguish the unique & bold flavour they were tasting. these marshmallows make for a great dessert on their own & you can drizzle the caramel sauce on just about anything you can think of... anything :)

p.s. last time i made homemade graham crackers for my s'mores! because they were so good compared to the boxed version, i made them again for this round of s'mores! you can get the recipes for those here.

ingredients

for the earl grey marshmallows

1/2 cup + 1/2 cup strong brewed earl grey, room temperature
3/4 ounces gelatin
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup powdered sugar

for the earl grey caramel

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup strong earl grey tea, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

for the earl grey caramel s'mores

graham crackers
earl grey marshmallows
earl grey caramel sauce
ghirardelli dark chocolate sea salt caramel squares

directions

for the earl grey marshmallows: line a 13x9 baking dish with parchment paper & grease with oil. add 1/2 cup earl grey tea & gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer. let stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. add remaining earl grey tea into a sauce pan over medium heat. add sugar, corn syrup & salt. stir until sugar dissolves. increase heat to high & boil (do not stir) until temperature reaches 230-250 degrees, about 6-8 minutes. using the whisk attachment, turn on mixer to low speed & slowly pour in boiling hot syrup. once syrup is mixed evenly with the gelatin, add vanilla & increase speed to high. beat until mixture is thick & fluffy, about 15 minutes. pour into baking dish immediately & let stand at room temperature until firm, about 2-3 hours. sift corn starch & powdered sugar over mixture before slicing. toss each slice in the powdered mixture as well.

for the earl grey caramel: in a saucepot add the sugar and earl grey tea over medium high heat. do NOT stir while bringing mixture to a boil. continue to boil until the sugar turns a deep amber colour (approximately 5 minutes). be sure not to burn the caramel, it will go from a deep amber to burnt VERY quickly. remove from heat and immediately whisk in the heavy cream, butter, vanilla & sea salt. cool to room temperature before serving. store in the fridge covered for up to two weeks.
for the earl grey caramel s'mores: layer graham cracker with earl grey marshmallow and broil or roasted over a fire until toasted. drizzle with earl grey caramel sauce & top with a ghirardelli chocolate square.

this post was created in partnership with ghirardelli chocolate! thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog. xo

okay let's first get things straight, this is NOT a valentine's post. i promise (but i will do something valentine-ish in february #sorrynotsorry). i know it is only the beginning of january, but i had the urge to bake some shortbread cookies (holiday withdrawal) & i just love heart shaped cookies. it seemed even more fitting because these are such a dreamy shortbread cookie recipe with the addition of the earl grey. i used this double bergamont tea to give them a maximum earl grey flavour! these are truly the perfect cookie to serve with your tea.

changing gears

now that we have cookies let's go over some new year plans, shall we?! i didn't want to bombard everyone with a cheesy 2016 inspirational recap post or both my personal & business goals for 2017 BUT i would love to give you a heads up on what i have planned for hey modest marce this year. up until now it has mainly been food focused, but since purchasing our first (& hopefully forever) home in the early fall i want to transition things a little. i want to show more lifestyle posts including all the different interior designs i have been working very hard on! linens, brass, paints, wallpaper (so much wallpaper) & so on. cheers to 2017 & all the fun things i have planned! i hope you are as excited as i am.

p.s. i have my first design sponge feature coming up this month showcasing both the great room & the powder room. i am very, very, very excited about it.

ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup raw sugar (i use sugar in the raw)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground earl grey (i use this loose leaf tea)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 tablespoons strong brewed earl grey tea, room temperature

directions

in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & raw sugar until just combined. add in vanilla extract.
sift in ground earl grey, flour & sea salt. beat until dough comes together.
if dough is crumbly, add in the brewed earl grey tea one tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.